ID :
215166
Tue, 11/15/2011 - 14:09
Auther :

All hostile hands towards Turkish flag in history received appropriate response, says PM Erdogan

ANKARA (A.A) - November 15, 2011 - Chairman of the ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday that all hostile hands towards the Turkish flag in history had received the appropriate response. Erdogan's comments came at a group meeting of his political party at the Turkish Parliament in response to groups of Syrians who burned the Turkish flag in Latakia last Saturday. Speaking on the recent developments in Syria, Erdogan said that the Assad administration continued to shed blood in Syria despite promising the Arab League to make reforms. "On November 12, the Arab League suspended Syria's right to attend Arab League meetings and workshops. The Arab League took a decision to be in touch with the Syrian opposition on November 12. During the Arab League's Cairo summit, the possibility of putting economic and political sanctions against Syria and the possibility of withdrawing member states' ambassadors from Damascus as well as the recognition of the Syrian opposition were evaluated. As Turkey, we have expressed that we do support the Arab League's decisions on Syria," Erdogan said. -Attack on Turkish flag- Instead of fulfilling promises made to the Arab League, the Syrian administration did a wrong by directing violence against foreign representations in the country, Erdogan said. "On the night of November 12, representations of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and France in Syria were attacked. Turkey's representations in Damascus, Aleppo and Latakia were also targeted by various Syrian groups. We strongly condemned the attacks on our representations. Turkey gave a note to the Syrian administration following the attacks. We have taken 60 Turks working at the Turkish Embassy and their relatives back to Turkey. What has hurt us most was the attack staged on the Turkish flag in Latakia. I want to make it clear to the Assad administration that all hostile hands towards the Turkish flag in history have received the appropriate response. I am confident that the star and the crescent of the Turkish flag is as holy as it is to Turks as it is to the brotherly people of Syria. Syrian opposition members have been seen carrying the Turkish flag in their hands as brothers and sisters of Turkey. The attack on the Turkish flag was made by a handful of people and was a result of provocations," Erdogan also said.

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